In the News

River Industry Cites Olmsted Failure in Push for Taxpayer Aid

WASHINGTON • For years, the barge industry has complained that aging locks and dams hike the cost of waterborne cargo and pose an...

Should Taxpayers Back Reactors?

Supporters call it smart energy policy. Critics have dubbed it "Solyndra on steroids." An energy bill that President Bush signed into law...

Government Fees the Key to a Budget Bargain?

Lawmakers are deadlocked over tax increases and spending cuts, but there’s another way that could nudge them closer to addressing this...

The Next Solyndra? $8 Billion U.S. Loan Guarantee for Nuke Reactors Too Risky

Think what you want about nuclear power. Maybe it’s the best way to generate electricity, and maybe it’s the worst. If you are a taxpayer,...

Mitch McConnell’s Close Ties with Humana Founder

In 2005, David A. Jones Sr., founder of health insurance giant Humana Inc., needed help raising money for a Louisville, Ky., parks project...

A Call for Tax Reform Transparency

For the first time in nearly three decades, Congress is trying a blank slate approach to tax reform. But a big part of the process has been...

Bloomberg: Wal-Mart Connection Means Taxpayers Pay More for Rogers Airport Tower

Bloomberg yesterday took a look at the Rogers Municipal Airport, home to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s fleet of corporate jets, and finds the...

4 Examples Of Corporate Welfare In Action

While corporations are often painted as the independent drivers of the U.S. economic system, the beacons of small government success aren’t...

Hey Taxpayers, Here’s How You’re Subsidizing Wal-Mart

The operations of an airport in Rogers — a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, with a population nearly 56,000 — show the degree to...

Wal-Mart Air Fleet Gets Taxpayer Support for Controllers

U.S. taxpayers are increasingly picking up the tab for the control tower at an airport that’s home to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT:US)’s...

Report Calls For Congressional Reform Of River Management Practices

A new report by a coalition of conservation and public interest groups representing the Upper Mississippi River basin is calling on Congress...

Study: New river law should emphasize restoration

A coalition of conservation groups argued Tuesday that a new long-term water resources proposal ought to focus more on restoration of the...

11 Trillion Reasons

Here is a good line: Unenlightened farm policy with its massive subsidies for junk food ingredients has played a pivotal role in shaping our...

Mini-nuclear plants the next frontier of US power supply—or the next Solyndra?

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com A boon to the economy? Or a boondoggle? That's the debate raging over a new nuclear technology...

Farm bill: Divided

Concerned about ever-increasing federal food stamp spending and the incentives it affords to the poor, conservatives in the House of...

Program promoting U.S.-grown foods divides California Republicans

WASHINGTON — In this era of federal austerity, appetites are souring over spending taxpayer money on dinner parties in India featuring...

Vogtle reactors mean more clean energy

The City of Calhoun Electric Utilities receives the majority of its power from nuclear power. During the city council meeting on Monday,...

How to Achieve Real Farm Bill Reform

A lot has been written about the initial failure of the farm bill to pass the House of Representatives in June, and the passage last week of...

GOP’s cruel intentions

Last week, we saw the full measure of Republican cruelty. Discarding decades of precedent, the House GOP stripped the nation’s food stamp...

House Republicans finally pass a farm bill — with no money for food stamps

After a failed attempt earlier, the House GOP has finally passed legislation to fund U.S. farm policy for the next five years. The only...

House OKs farm bill - but leaves out food stamps

After two embarrassing failures to pass a farm bill, usually a popular bipartisan exercise marrying crop subsidies with food stamps, House...

Is it time for food stamps to come out of the farm bill?

Remember this chart about the contents of the House farm bill? As you can see, the farm bill isn’t purely a “farm” bill. About 80...

Federal loan guarantee offer for Vogtle expansion extended again

The owners of Plant Vogtle have secured – for the third time – an extension to allow further negotiation with the U.S. Energy Department...

Another Toubled Department of Energy Loan Guarantee

Spectacular failure made Solyndra a household name and highlighted failures in the Department of Energy's loan guarantee program. Since...

Optimism grows for repairing Western Pennsylvania locks and dams

River industry officials are confident Congress will approve legislation this year that would boost funding for much-needed repairs to...

Ohio farmers glum after U.S. House plows under farm bill

The House dealt a surprising defeat yesterday to a five-year, nearly $1 trillion bill regulating farm programs — a blow to Ohio farmers who...

Farm bill’s subsidy for sugar under pressure

Tucked into a sweeping $1 trillion farm bill being debated in the U.S. House this week and next is a provision that may define the future of...

Opposition to House Farm Bill Spans Political Spectrum

As the House prepares to vote this week on a new five-year farm bill, advocacy groups from across the political spectrum are lining up to...

Nuclear Power, Part 2: Nukenomics

Can the nuclear industry stand on its own two feet financially? It all depends on whom you ask. "There are plenty of cost estimates out...

John Boehner: Time is right to bring latest farm bill to House floor

After punting last year on a farm bill, House Speaker John A. Boehner said Monday he will bring his chamber’s 2013 version to the floor this...

Letter: Redirect tax dollars to those most in need

I don't think anyone would dispute the claim of the May 31 letter "CA editorial got it wrong" that the SNAP program suffers from fraud and...

Lobbyists for Banks to Beet Farms Feast on $1 Trillion Farm Law

After his side lost a fight over federal sugar aid in the Senate last month, Bob Simpson, the president of Jelly Belly Candy Co. of...

Farm Bill: How to Grow Almost Anything Risk Free

Congress is attempting to pass major farm legislation this year after failing in 2012 amid the hard-fought congressional and presidential...

Bid to end crop insurance subsidy for tobacco worries burley growers

Kentucky tobacco growers are up in arms over a new proposal to eliminate federal crop insurance programs for tobacco. On Monday, Sen....

Senators target tobacco crop insurance subsidy

Taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance for tobacco production would be eliminated under a farm-bill amendment introduced Monday by U.S. Sens....

The Farm Bill Trough Is Opening Again

Sooey! That old-fashioned farmer's call, meant to summon hogs to the trough, is also an appropriate warning signal for taxpayers and...

More of the Same Wasteful Farm Bill Spending

About a year ago, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a new, five-year farm bill, well in advance of the last bill's expiration date of...

Farm product subsidies are criticized

U.S. taxpayers spent nearly $7 million last year promoting California wine overseas, and millions of dollars more to advertise agricultural...

I-Team 10 investigation: Subsidies a cash crop for farmers

  For years, farmers have been getting taxpayer subsidies in the way of direct payments from the government, even in years when they...

New oil shale decision avoids mistakes of the past

Who hasn’t heard the old saying “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it?” That often-quoted adage was written by 19th...

How to Reform the Tax Code

Washington is a town marked more frequently by disagreement than consensus, but there is one point on which almost all parties agree: The...

Obama’s proposed spending on small modular reactors criticized from 2 sides

A modest increase in spending for the U.S. Department of Energy's program to promote small modular nuclear reactors found in President...

Letter: Reasonable ideas for cutting deficit

Reasonable Americans understand that reducing the federal deficit will require a combination of spending cuts and increases in...

Plenty to love, loathe in Obama’s 2014 budget

Congressional Republicans and Democrats began voicing their displeasure over U.S. President Obama's 2014 budget plan, saying it didn't go...

Westinghouse Electric Co. sets sights on federal funds

Westinghouse Electric Co. plans to apply again for a federal program designed to help fund the development of mini-sized nuclear reactor...

TVA, B&W poised to put small modular reactors to the test

TVA is teaming with Babcock & Wilcox on a project that may produce the nation’s first operational small modular reactor. The potential of...

Report: Southeast U.S. Ratepayers Will Be Gouged For Billions Of Dollars In Excess Costs If Nuclear Reactor Projects Proceed

New Study Focuses on "Uneconomical" Reactor Projects in FL, SC, and GA Financed by "Advance Cost Recovery" Schemes; Lessons Seen for IA, UT,...

Energy opens second round for small modular reactor funding

The Energy Department on Monday announced a second round of funding for small modular nuclear reactors development through a program that...

New Estimates Question Savings from Farm Bills

Farm bills passed by the full Senate and the House Agriculture Committee in 2012 would cost billions more this year if they were enacted...

Watchdog group upset with nuke reactor funding

A budget watchdog group is criticizing a federal government program that provides federal funds to companies such as Westinghouse Electric...

Energy Department investment in SMRs wins Golden Fleece

One year ago, the Obama administration committed nearly half-a-billion dollars to develop small modular reactors (or SMRs). The goal:...

Repealing oil industry tax subsidies would be good for taxpayers

Former Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) served up the usual field-tested oil industry talking points last week. The Hill readers may have been...

Obama push for modular reactors a ‘ripoff’—taxpayer watchdog

A nonpartisan watchdog group has dubbed the Obama administration's effort to develop small, modular reactors a "taxpayer...

Watchdog group: DOE support for small modular reactors is ‘fleecing’ taxpayers

The U.S. Department of Energy's program to award developers of small modular nuclear reactors with funds to bring this new type of reactor...

Mini Nuclear Reactors Earn Golden Fleece Award For Government Waste

Are mini nuclear reactors the future of high-end energy development — or a wasteful government boondoggle? While it may or may not be...

Small modular reactor program to get ‘Golden Fleece’ award

A watchdog group plans Wednesday to call federal spending on small nuclear reactors a "major ripoff for taxpayers." Taxpayers for Common...

Nuclear program wins ‘Golden Fleece’ award

The federal government's move toward small modular nuclear reactors is getting panned by a taxpayers' group. Taxpayers for Common Sense...

U.S. offering $450M to support fledgling nuclear technology

A federal program intended to kickstart the much-anticipated development of bite-sized nuclear reactors at Westinghouse Electric Co. and...

Group gives ‘Golden Fleece’ award to DOE

The new and smaller nuclear plant design being pursued by the Tennessee Valley Authority was denounced by a taxpayer advocacy group...

Organization Calls Foul on DOE’s Small Reactor Program

The Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan budget watchdog organization based in Washington, has given its annual "Golden Fleece Award"...

Portable reactor program given ‘Golden Fleece’ award

A national watchdog group Wednesday bestowed its “Golden Fleece Award” for wasted taxpayer funds to the government’s small modular reactor...

Small Modular Reactors (SMR) Win the Golden Fleece Award

As management at the Savannah River Site (SRS) has been pushing the idea that speculative “small modular reactors” (SMRs) will be the...

Waste-Busting “Golden Fleece Award” To Go To Small Modular Reactors

Award to Focus Attention on Federal Tax Dollars Being Lavished on Unproven Nuclear Reactor Technology Developed By Profitable Global...

TCS: Trim the farm bill and cut oil subsidies

This month, 13 groups sent a letter to Congress identifying budget savings worth $100 billion over the next decade. They would draw from the...

State Of The Union: Obama Renews Call For Elimination Of Some Corporate Tax Loopholes

Solving the never-ending budget crisis and reducing the deficit will require corporate tax reform, Obama said. Obama called for tax reform...

Strange bedfellows unite to bash RFS

The country’s Renewable Fuel Standard has done something few things in Washington can: bring together a diverse set of interests for a...

Unusual allies fight renewable fuel standard

Humanitarians, environmentalists, farmers’ advocates and refiners on Monday came together to demand changes to a renewable fuel mandate they...

Sen. Murkowski backs calls to reevaluate biofuel mandate

The Senate Energy Committee’s top Republican said Monday that she is “in good company” with congressional calls to reevaluate a...

Sen. Mitch McConnell says he didn’t push for fiscal cliff provision aiding donor pharmaceutical company

WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell says he didn’t push for a special provision tucked into the fiscal cliff deal — which he negotiated — that...

In ‘fiscal cliff’ bill, White House was key to corporate tax breaks

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - As the U.S. Congress rushed last week to approve a "fiscal cliff" tax bill that raised income taxes on the...

Will Big Oil Keep Its Subsidies in a Fiscal Cliff Deal?

America's most profitable industry banks billions in subsidies—but there's little talk in Washington of putting these handouts on the chopping block. ...

Hot ETFs for the presidential election

By John Nyaradi Next week’s presidential election will impact sectors and exchange-traded funds regardless of who wins. Here’s your guide...

Washington lawmakers - All earmarks considered pork

By: Gene Smith Taxpayers for Common Sense states that in 2011 there were 39,294 earmarks for a total of more than $130 billion. It is...

Bipartisan House Defense Panel Erupts in Shouting Match

 The House Armed Services Committee has long taken pride in a spirit of cross-party cooperation. But when Jeffrey Zients, the White House\'s...

House Farm Bill Favors Arkansas Rice Growers (Arkansas News)

By Peter Urban WASHINGTON — The House Agriculture Committee takes up a 557-page farm bill this week that offers greater protection to Southern...

Congress Can Save $700 Billion by Ending Environmentally Destructive Programs (Living Green)

Congress could move a long way toward solving the nation’s twin problems of spiraling budget costs and environmental degradation simply by...

Doggy Glitter Gets a Share of Farm Bill Billions (Washington Examiner)

By Susan Ferrechio What does sparkly styling spray for dogs have to do with the 2012 farm bill? It's among the thousands of products U.S....

Fight looming over military spending cuts (CNN)

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The raging Washington debate over increasing the debt limit already is foreshadowing perhaps the next budget tussle...

Watchdog group calls for cuts to Defense health benefits (Stars and Stripes)

In a report Thursday, a nonprofit government watchdog group called for more than $586 billion in cuts to national security spending over 10...

Balloon Goes Up In Budget Battle (TIME)

Sure, there have been skirmishes over defense spending in recent weeks, but now they're shifting from small arms and irregular warfare to a...

Vice Chief Nominee Hints At Program Cuts Ahead (Aviation Week)

As large cuts to the U.S. defense budget are picking up an air of inevitability, more program kills are probably on their way, the...

How to Trim the U.S. Deficit by Nearly $600 Billion (Defense Professionals)

A Blueprint for Spending Less and Spending Smarter on National Security 06:44 GMT, July 22, 2011 POGO and Taxpayers for Common Sense today...

Watchdog Groups Identify Nearly $600 Billion in National Security Spending Cuts (CommonDreams.org)

WASHINGTON - July 21 - The federal government could save $586 billion over the next 10 years by cutting unneeded weapons, reining in...

Budget Wonks Prep for Defense Spending Dust-Up (The Wall Street Journal)

Who doesn’t enjoy a good, inside-the-Beltway smackdown? For those who follow defense-spending issues, a fresh bout started Thursday...

More National Security-Related Deficit Cut Proposals (Time Magazine)

The prospect of deeper cuts at the Defense Department and other parts of the national security-related budget is getting closer to reality....

Watchdog Groups Identify Nearly $600 Billion in National Security Spending Cuts (YubaNet)

WASHINGTON, D.C. July 21, 2011 - The federal government could save $586 billion over the next 10 years by cutting unneeded weapons, reining...

Taxpayer Groups Urge Cuts of $600 Billion; Whack JSF, Next-Gen Bomber (AOL Defense)

Washington: Two respected taxpayer groups are calling for more than half-a-trillion in defense cuts. The Project for Government Oversight...

NDAA Amendment Options: A Preliminary Proposal for Defense Savings (The Stimson Center)

The Will and the Wallet Budget Insights for Foreign Affairs and Defense Policy from the Stimson Center SEE OUR POST HERE The parameters of...

Panetta will deal with a Pentagon bureaucracy that Gates mastered (The Hill)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates's successor will face many challenges from day one, including a Pentagon bureaucracy that largely has been...

Analysts have mixed expectations of Panetta (Air Force Times)

A panel of defense experts who support big cuts in the Pentagon budget had mixed expectations Tuesday for how CIA Director Leon Panetta will...

GE jet engine survives House (The Boston Globe)

Obama may veto defense legislation; jobs at stake at Lynn facility The US House of Representatives risked a potential veto by President...

Medill National Security Zone: Tips to Improve Your Military Reporting (nationalsecurityzone.org)

Analysts & Watchdogs There are three very good watchdog/analysis groups: 1. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 2....

Establish transparency standards for military contractors (PolitiFact)

"Establish transparency standards for military contractors. … Create the reporting requirements, accounting, and accountability needed for...

House Defense Chief Blasts F-35 Cuts, Laughs at Veto Threat (WIRED)

You can see the next two years of congressional defense debates, in miniature, from the office of Rep. Buck McKeon, the California...

Southland defense firms would be hit hard by an earmark ban (Los Angeles Times)

  Some would have to cut jobs or go out of business if a proposed moratorium on federal earmarks — money directed to specific projects —...

Defense-Spending Bill Enters Uncharted Waters (The Wall Street Journal)

Political upheaval in Washington has upended the Pentagon's traditional budget cycle, creating serious uncertainty for the military and the...

We can’t afford the F-35 engine (The Washington Post)

   Kathleen Parker ["The engine that might," op-ed, June 10] insinuated that congressional support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alternate...

TCS President Ryan Alexander Op-Ed: Why two jets are not better than one (Politico)

 Today, President Ryan Alexander issued an Op-Ed to Politico.com regarding the recent $485 million alternate engine addition by the House...

Congress: Forget National Security, F-22 is About Jobs (Capitol News Connection)

Here’s what’s in the DoD Authorization bill: 1-point-7-5 billion dollars for seven new F-22 fighter jets. Which the Pentagon and President...

Audit raises questions about half billion spent by MacDill (WTSP Tampa Bay)

Tampa, Florida -- $219,000 to fix an improperly installed lug nut on a C-130 aircraft, $225,000 to repaint combat helicopters, and a half...

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters...